Help support our writers and journalists.
Commentary
A collar was not enough: Botswana’s failure to protect its research elephants from trophy hunters
By Adam Cruise - Daily Maverick The killings of two satellite-collared elephant bulls raise a much larger question than whether their collars were somehow overlooked: what is the point of declaring research animals protected if the state institutions responsible for wildlife cannot prevent hunters from killing them? Information from Botswana indicates that two satellite-collared elephant bulls were shot by trophy hunters on 3 and 4 September, in separate hunting areas and on separate hunts. Both animals were identifiable research elephants. Both wore collars. Both were apparently observed...
Trophy hunting quotas: Civil society objected, but did anyone in government listen?
By Adam Cruise - Daily Maverick South Africa has published new trophy hunting quotas for elephants, black rhinos and leopards, yet the scientific and administrative record behind those decisions remains largely invisible. After detailed objections were submitted during the public consultation process, civil society organisations are now being forced to use access-to-information legislation simply to discover whether their concerns were considered at all. On 31 August, Environment Minister David Maynier published South Africa’s CITES export quotas for elephant, black rhinoceros and...
News
Two collared research elephants hunted in Botswana on consecutive days
By Africa Geographic Two satellite-collared elephant bulls were trophy hunted in Botswana on consecutive days in September 2026. The elephants were killed in hunting areas CT2 and...
Vantara works with lobbyist tied to Trump Jr. and pro-hunting groups
By Spoorthy Raman - Mongabay Vantara, the controversial billionaire-run Indian zoo, has worked with lobbyists in the U.K. with ties to pro-hunting organizations and the Trump administration, sources...
More than $1 million in elephant ivory advertised online in Australia
By Sadie Harley - University of Adelaide While most Australians assume the ivory trade ended decades ago, Adelaide University research has found an active collectors' market exists online, with most...
Press releases
Over half of international tourists would question visiting South Africa if elephant culling is reinstated, new survey finds
By Humane World for Animals Humane World for Animals South Africa warns elephant culling could damage South Africa’s tourism appeal and conservation reputation CAPE TOWN, South Africa—Over half (60%) of international tourists would consider visiting a different country instead if elephant culling...
Studies
Researchers analysing 469 rumbles from wild African elephants in Kenya found that calls contained name-like information
By Science Blog Machine learning found receiver-specific information in 469...
Elephant barrier behaviours in response to conflict mitigation fences
By Dominique Gonçalves, Robert J. Smith, Helen M. K. O'Neill - The Society for...
Impacts of Human Development on Wildlife Use of Corridors in Botswana
By Tempe S. F. Adams, Keith Leggett, Michael J. Chase, Marlee A. Tucker -...
Reports
Scientific Review of Botswana’s Elephant Hunting Programme
By Mike Chase and Scott Schlossberg - Elephants Without Borders (EWB) Summary 1. In 2019, Botswana ended a five-year moratorium on the hunting of African savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana). Here, we provide expert, outside review of the hunting programme and its scientific basis. Notably, we...
About
The Journal of African Elephants was created by a group of concerned journalists, biologists and conservationists, who, after years of tracking and documenting the catastrophic decline of Africa’s elephant populations, have recognised the urgent need for a dedicated English and French news and commentary space to enhance and increase global awareness of the plight of Africa’s savanna and forest elephants. Our Commentary service, in particular, are writers that focus on the need to provide awareness of Africa’s elephants and affected surrounding human communities from a distinctly African perspective that, for the most part, is lacking in the dominance of Western media.